Immolation Ex: The Knower (COMPLETED)

Chapter XXXI

"Let me go!" Dustyn shouted into the dark, kicking his dangling feet beneath him.

No one replied.

"Hey, assholes! Turn the lights on!"

"Quiet young man," commanded a voice from the darkness.

"Who...who's there?" Dustyn asked, straining his eyes to make out a shape, silhouette, or anything that might give him insight into whatever or whoever he might be having a conversation with.

"No one...just a friend," the male voice replied.

"A friend? I don't imagine I've got too many of those running around in this place," Dustyn stated. "What would possess you to want to be my friend, pal? Don't you know I'm an enemy of Samael or some such shit?"

"I doubt that, young man."

"How would you know?"

"It's neither here or there, Dustyn."

"Not to me. Just tell me who you are, mister," requested Dustyn.

"Another member of your very elite club, King David."

"And what might this club be, whoever you are?" Dustyn asked, fighting against his restraints. The leather bands made a stretching noise as they automatically tightened in response to the young man's struggling.

"Shit! That hurts!"

"Those will not come free from your wrists without the proper incantation," the darkness said. "You should stop resisting them."

"Then would you mind telling me this incantation, friend?" Dustyn asked. "I have people in Heaven that would be very grateful for your assistance."

"When the time is right, David."

"Ummm, mister, in my book, that time is right now. I don't have much of it. I need to warn the others about these Myriads and the Grigori army..." The room grew eerily silent once more. "Hey, mister? You there?"

A bright burst of energy forced Dustyn to slam his eyelids shut as light flooded the sandstone dungeon, revealing several ancient glyphs painting along its walls.

"Who else is in there, King David? Who are you talking to?" Bezaliel hissed, holding a ball of energy in her claw-like hand. She lifted it above her head and stepped cautiously into the room.

"No one...just myself. I'm afraid of the dark," Dustyn said, sarcastically. "Why do you care, anyways?"

The Watcher darted her vision around the sandstone chamber. Eventually, satisfied that the cavern was empty; Bezaliel cut her eyes toward Dusty and then closed her fist, sending the light into hiding once more.

"I hope you guys are close to finding me. This sucks..."

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Holok's Ethereal Palace

"Prepare your forces, Countess, I want this insolence to end, immediately!" Holok bellowed from the courtroom of his vast, virtual palace. The former Archangel had grown so large his full form was only visible in its entirety from space. However, to conduct strategy with his Grigori army he would now be forced to extend a portion of himself into his throne room for brief moments.

A section of the bulbous cloud willfully protruded from the chamber's undulating wall, pouring over the shimmering yellow stairs one-by-one like a golden fog and pooling at the kneeling evil woman's feet. It churned, slowly rotating upwards until a large ominous form stood before her. She flinched in surprise, never observing her master do this in all of the years of her service to him.

"Do not fail me like Himmler," the faceless, golden form said. "I want all of these contemptuous souls destroyed for their insolence!" Like a misty serpent, it turned and flowed around the Grigori woman to her other side as if examining her, its faceless head only a few inches from hers.

The female Grigori kept her face to the ground.

"However, if you manage to capture any of them alive, bring the prisoner to me so I can take my time with them," the column of golden smoke hissed.

"Yes, Holok!" Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed replied.

"Rise and conquer my enemies, Countess!"

"Yes, my lord." As she stood, the female Grigori lifted her eyes to her god looming over her. "Oh most powerful Holok, might I ask a favor when I defeat your enemies?"

"Tell me then, what is it you wish?" the large being inquired.

"That I might have the cheerleader for myself?"

"Defeat them and I shall grant you this request as your reward," the voice echoed through the darkness of space.

Elizabeth smiled and bowed once again. "Thank you, my lord."

"Leave me, now," Holok commanded.

The vile woman backed away from her master, head lowered, and then turned, lifting a hand for her assistant to follow her.

A Grigori in an old Confederate uniform appeared from around a corner, reattaching a floppy hat to its head, and glided over to the passing female Grigori.

"Ma'am?" the shimmering creature asked in a whisper, glancing at the strange form of Holok over his shoulder. He could see the golden god watching them float away.

"Yes, William?"

"I just got word that them Myriads out in thuh Mo-jah-vee...um, Moh...dayum, I'ma getting' to where I can't remember muh own name..."

"Come on, out with it you rebel fool!" she said sharply.

"Apologies, ma'am. You know that damn desert place out yonder toward California where them Watchers are holed up?"

"Yes, I know where they are, Bloody Bill! Everyone does."

"You know I love it when you use my nickname!" he said with a large grin, sliding a finger down the woman's arm.

Countess Bathory's face wrinkled in annoyance. "Please, William, out with it."

"That Watcher callin' himself Asbeel. He tells me they found this fool demon wanderin' around a long way from his master. Evidently, they got some way of trackin' other Watcher's demons."

"Is that all? Why should I care about that?"

"Well, 'cause that demon they nabbed...it contained the Original Soul of King David."

The countess raised an eyebrow. "Did they indicate what they are planning on doing with him?"

"I'ma getting' to it. So, this Watcher fella, he up and tells me they almost got the demon of that Old West lawman, too, but something happened they ain't willin' to talk about. Either way, they lost him. However, it's what happened with that truck drivin' Mongolian that's the kicker. It seems ol' Michael showed up and spoiled the Watcher's party before it got started. Asbeel tells me the Archangel looked to him like he might have been hurt."

"Hmmm, this is interesting. So, what's their next move?"

"They want us to saddle up," Bill replied.

"For what? And please don't make me continue to ask you for information."

"Sorry, ma'am. They have a plan to take down Heaven..."